Top issues for the Less than A-Listers!

[Sasquatch by Night]

I love all comics, but when it comes to back issues I'm primarily a Marvel guy. I always see top 5 or top 10 lists of best comics for characters like Captain America, Iron Man, the X-Men, and Spiderman, but what about the less than A-Listers like Hercules, Moon Knight, Spider Woman, and Mockingbird? Even though I've been collecting comics for about 8 years, I see how it could be difficult for readers who are interested in these characters to get stories about them that are more than cameos, or who don't have the money or time to buy entire runs involving these characters, but would still like to own a few issues involving them.

So here is what I propose: people list their favorite issues for the characters who aren't considered A-Listers (i.e., characters who won't be appearing in a Marvel movie anytime soon). People can list their own favorite characters and what they consider that character's top appearances (including mini-series or a short run), or they can ask others for help on a character. I for one would be interested in knowing what people consider Shang-Chi's top five appearances, as he is a character people seem to like but can never really give a specific example or story as to why. I will try to put a few lists of my own on here for starters, but feel free to contribute!

[Songbird/Diamondback]

http://comraderecs.tumblr.com/post/4...al-comic-noobs

This site tends to have a ton of recommended reading lists for a TON of characters. Explore around.

Here's their list of Marvel heroes: http://comraderecs.tumblr.com/post/1...ecommendations

[Sasquatch by Night]

http://comraderecs.tumblr.com/post/4...al-comic-noobs

This site tends to have a ton of recommended reading lists for a TON of characters. Explore around.

Here's their list of Marvel heroes: http://comraderecs.tumblr.com/post/1...ecommendations

Well, that link is awesome. I have searched for a site like that forever, thanks!

[Reviresco]

Great idea for a thread! Now I'll have to think what five issues, I'd pick for Namor.

http://comraderecs.tumblr.com/post/4...al-comic-noobs

This site tends to have a ton of recommended reading lists for a TON of characters. Explore around.

Here's their list of Marvel heroes: http://comraderecs.tumblr.com/post/1...ecommendations

While that sounds great, and those images are pretty, I'm not so sure about the recommendations. Now, I've only looked at Namor's, but a recommendation that completely ignores all of his several ongoings, lists issues he wasn't even in (though they are part of the cross over) isn't a very good recommendation.

[Kieran_Frost]

KEY/BEST STORIES
DAKEN AKIHIRO
First Appearance: Wolverine Origins #10 (March 2007)


"the Prince" in Dark Wolverine #75-77 by Daniel Way & Marjorie Liu [DEFINITIVE DAKEN STORY]
"A Cautionary Tale" in Dark Wolverine #81 by Daniel Way & Marjorie Liu
Dark Reign: the List "Punisher" by Rick Remender [ONE-SHOT]
"Godlike" in Dark Wolverine #82-84 by Daniel Way & Marjorie Liu
"Empire" in Daken: Dark Wolverine #1-4 by Daniel Way & Marjorie Liu
"Final Execution" in Uncanny X-force #25-34 by Rick Remender

MOONSTONE [Dr. Karla Sofen, M.D.]
First Appearance: Captain America (vol. 1) #192


Thunderbolts #46-47 by Fabian Nicieza
Thunderbolts #56-58 by Fabian Nicieza
Thunderbolts #68 by Fabian Nicieza
Avengers/Thunderbolts: Best Intentions by Fabian Nicieza [MINI SERIES]
Thunderbolts #109 by Fabian Nicieza
Ms. Marvel #38 by Brian Reed

SONGBIRD [Melissa Joan Gold]
First Appearance: Marvel Two-in-One #54 (August, 1979)


"Songbird: Berserk"; Thunderbolts #21 by Kurt Busiek
"Nuff Said"; Thunderbolts #59 by Fabian Nicieza
"Burning Down the House" in Thunderbolts #126-127 by Andy Diggle [DEFINITIVE SONGBIRD STORY]
Thunderbolts #171 by Jeff Parker

[Songbird/Diamondback]

SONGBIRD
"Burning Down the House" in Thunderbolts by Andy Diggle

Don't forget: Thunderbolts 171 and Breaking Point.

Man, I used to be able to recite a lot of Songbird issues off the top of my head.

[Rochedalaix]

Illyana Rasputin

Uncanny X-Men 160 when Illyana Rasputin gets kidnapped by Belasco The Uncanny X-Men #160 - Page 1.jpg

Magik: Storm and Illyana 1-4 details on how she escaped Belasco Magik - Storm & Illyana #1 - Page 1.jpg

New Mutants 14(Her first appearance as Magik.) New Mutants #14 - Page 1.jpg

[Pat Thomas]

Hercules had 2 mini series in the 80's. The first one was so enjoyable to me that I bought the second, which I haven't gotten around to reading yet. I've never been a fan
of the character at all, and I don't even know what possessed me to buy the mini in the first place. I wasn't expecting much when I finally forced myself to read it, and couldn't
have been more surprised. It's light-hearted and funny, and I can't recommend it enough. It's only 4 issues long. I think it came out in 1982.

[Trident]

Well Iron Fist is pretty easy. Just read any and all of The Immortal Iron Fist:


and I promise not only will you not regret your purchase but you will fall in love with both the character and his surrounding mythos.

[Reviresco]

NAMOR THE SUB-MARINER

I'll try to come up with a list of individual issue, but it's easier to recommend collections. Namor has been in at least 7 teams, and been active for 75 real time years, so it there was no way I was going to pare my recommendations down to five.



Saga of the Sub-Mariner -- if I have to recommend _one_ book, this is it. It covers all the important highlights of Namor's life up to the Bryne run. This is Roy Thomas Namor and the one I grew up with and my favorite. Best part, is that it is an autobiography!

All the Masterworks -- for the original, whole story, instead of the condensed version above.

Sub-Mariner Revolution -- a good intro to Namor as he is now presented to modern readers, though I don't agree with everything in here. Plus it has plenty of guest stars to help hook the non-Subby readers.

Namor the First Mutant -- the last ongoing. Uneven art, but interesting insights into Namor and Atlantis

John Byrne Visionaries: Namor -- there are plenty of fans of this run, but it isn't my favorite, for a variety of reasons. But the art is pretty and it's an interesting concept -- Namor as a green CEO.


Defenders Indefensible -- an extreme version of the Defenders, but captures the group most concisely, and is hilarious

New Avengers Illuminati + Road to Civil War Illuminati story (which should have been included in that collection) -- Bendis' version

FF1234 -- beautiful Jae Lee art and Morrison words, that capture the essence of Namor and Sue's relationship
Fantastic Four Omnibus v1 -- the classic original appearances of Namor's intro to the Silver Age

Captain America Man Without a Face
Invaders Now
All New Invaders -- the Invaders are a tough sell to readers that don't like the retro, WWII stories, and Frank Robbins art. Which is why, I guess I picked these stories set mostly in the modern era. If you want to try the WWII adventures, I recommend this:
Invaders Eve of Destruction -- written by Roger Stern with art by Steve Epting.

Avengers: Assault on Olympus -- though that isn't my favorite Namor Avenger story, it's the one collected, AFAIK
Marvel Masterworks Avengers v1 -- the classic Namor Avenger antagonist story

Marvel Masterworks Atlas Heroes v3 -- for the Golden Age, sort of, and Bill Everett's best art on Namor. Plus adorable Kid Namor!

The problematic X-Men tenure. Problematic, because there was very little that was Namor centric, though almost all his appearances were gold.

Dark Reign The List -- has DRTL X-Men which was a whole Namor issue by Fraction and Alan Davis, which was pretty good, though I had a few nits with it.
Uncanny X-Men Annual #2 -- I'm not sure where this was collected, but it's all about Namor and Emma, and retcons their relationship.

I would love to pick a Gillen book for Namor, but he didn't write one. He wrote lots of super appearances of Namor, but nothing really Namor centric. Perhaps, the Tabula Rasa arc? Definitely the Cabal oneshot, which he wrote a Namor story for, but I don't think it was collected.

Essential Super-Villain Team-Up -- this is getting reprinted in color, so I'd wait a few months. But the original Super-Villain Team Up duo (Namor and Doom) team up again for a whole series!

May end up editing this after some discussion in the Namor appreciation thread.

[Reviresco]

Well Iron Fist is pretty easy. Just read any and all of The Immortal Iron Fist:


and I promise not only will you not regret your purchase but you will fall in love with the both the character and his surrounding mythos.

I second this recommendation!

[Reviresco]

Hercules had 2 mini series in the 80's. The first one was so enjoyable to me that I bought the second, which I haven't gotten around to reading yet. I've never been a fan
of the character at all, and I don't even know what possessed me to buy the mini in the first place. I wasn't expecting much when I finally forced myself to read it, and couldn't
have been more surprised. It's light-hearted and funny, and I can't recommend it enough. It's only 4 issues long. I think it came out in 1982.

I second this recommendation, also. The Bob Layton Herc is awesome.

Plus, for Herc, you have to read the Greg Pak and Fred Valente Incredible Herc run. Or at least the first couple of arcs. So much fun.

[intbal]

Forge



My favorite character, written by my favorite writer, drawn by my favorite artist. Impossible to beat that.

Forge got his own major story arc later on (Fall of the Mutants). But that was more like a Saturday morning cartoon. Lifedeath is a story for adults.

[Sasquatch by Night]

JAMES RHODES/WAR MACHINE

One of my all-time favorite characters! Definitely not enough respect for the Rhodey.

Invincible Iron Man Vol. 1, #169-170, 281-291, and really any issue of the Layton/Michelinie run, Rhodes is an excellent support character for Stark
War Machine Vol. 2, #1-12
Iron Patriot #1-5

[Sasquatch by Night]

Hercules had 2 mini series in the 80's. The first one was so enjoyable to me that I bought the second, which I haven't gotten around to reading yet. I've never been a fan
of the character at all, and I don't even know what possessed me to buy the mini in the first place. I wasn't expecting much when I finally forced myself to read it, and couldn't
have been more surprised. It's light-hearted and funny, and I can't recommend it enough. It's only 4 issues long. I think it came out in 1982.

Ooh I love that first mini-series! I found it in a .50 bin at a lcs, no regrets.